Browns’ KC Concepcion Already Has Eyes on Shedeur Sanders
Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion wasted no time making his feelings known after arriving as the team’s first-round pick. He wants to build chemistry with Shedeur Sanders and made no secret of it.
“Whenever I had entered the transfer portal after my sophomore season, I had actually went down to Colorado and met Shedeur,” Concepcion told reporters at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus after the 2026 NFL Draft. “He’s a great guy, a great leader. I just cannot wait to build that relationship and build that connection with him.”
The comments were notable for what Concepcion did not say. He was not talking about Deshaun Watson.
The Browns selected Concepcion with the 24th overall pick out of Texas A&M, where he recorded 61 receptions for 919 yards and nine touchdowns in his junior season. He also won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player. The 21-year-old brings explosive run-after-catch ability and return skills to a Cleveland offense that ranked last in scoring over the previous two seasons.
The Browns’ quarterback room entering 2026 is unsettled. Watson, who has not played since tearing his Achilles in October 2024 and underwent a second surgery the following January, was medically cleared in early April and is now participating in voluntary workouts. Early reports indicate he has looked sharp. Multiple outlets confirmed Wednesday that Watson has emerged from the first voluntary minicamp with the edge over Sanders in the ongoing competition.
Head coach Todd Monken, hired in January after three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, has been careful not to declare a winner. He said he hopes to have a clearer read on the quarterback pecking order by the time mandatory minicamp concludes on June 11. Monken has also made clear the battle is not strictly a two-man race, with Dillon Gabriel also in the mix alongside a newly added developmental prospect in sixth-round pick Taylen Green.
Sanders started seven games as a 2025 draft pick, going 3–4 to close a difficult season. His arm talent and mobility have drawn praise from Monken’s new staff. Watson has struggled throughout his Cleveland tenure, starting just 19 regular-season games since arriving in a blockbuster 2022 trade that cost the franchise three first-round picks.
From a practical standpoint, Concepcion will need to earn targets regardless of who wins the starting job. He enters a receiver room that includes Jerry Jeudy, fellow draft pick Denzel Boston from Washington, and Isaiah Bond. Jeudy led the Browns with 602 receiving yards in 2025, a modest total that reflects just how broken Cleveland’s passing attack was.
Monken’s offensive philosophy, rooted in quick-rhythm passing concepts and manufactured touches, could suit Concepcion’s skill set. He profiles as a slot weapon capable of creating space on timing routes and turning short completions into chunk gains.
Whether Sanders or Watson starts in Week 1, Cleveland now has a playmaker to build around. Concepcion, for his part, has already chosen a preference.